


Strategic Retreat

by Penguiduck



Series: The Fire Emblem Collection [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 13:23:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20359207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penguiduck/pseuds/Penguiduck
Summary: Did you think that running away from home was the solution? Probably not -- it was the only solution. However, as you trekked across the unforgiving desert, you weren't sure what to expect from these strangers...[Reader X Tormod] A one-shot.





	Strategic Retreat

**Author's Note:**

> So I started The Fire Emblem Collection well over ten years ago, a series of quality reader-inserts for one of my favorite video games. I've posted on a couple of other archives, but I figured that since Fire Emblem is popular here on AO3, I might as well add what I have here. I will be posting as time permits. These one-shots are fulfilled requests made by friends and fellow readers. **I am not openly taking requests right now, but I may in the future.** I will only take requests through my monthly raffle, which I've linked to below.
> 
> Obviously, my writing has improved and changed over the years, so some of my older works might not be as polished. Apologies. I don't have any intention of going back and editing, but I suppose anything is possible.
> 
> I would like to draw your attention to something I'm trying out to thank those who have left or will leave future comments on my works: [An Expression of Thanks](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20227408/chapters/47937112). If you like raffles and enjoy having your fanfiction requests fulfilled, take a look. ;) I encourage you to check it out! This will occur monthly.
> 
> Please enjoy.

It had been days since you left home. Your food and water supplies were low, but you persevered knowing that your fate would be a terrible one if you did not. The ruins were a place that his soldiers would not follow you, you thought, for they might have still been swarming with the laguz.

Of course, you were fine with the thought of the laguz -- at this point, you would rather fight them all barehanded than return home.

Your horse was exhausted. The poor thing had carried you here as quickly as you had coaxed her. And now with the miles and miles of desert sand ahead, you felt that she would soon collapse from thirst. You had only enough water for yourself, and who knew how long that supply would last? Fortunately, you were not far from the edge of the nearest town, so you turned the mare loose, figuring that she would find her way to civilization.

You hoisted what little belongings you had onto your back and began the dangerous trek into the desert.

You could not, would not go back.

Even as the sun's rays beat mercilessly down upon you, you thought it was better to die here from heat exhaustion than to return.

All you wanted was for him to leave you alone.

Your feet were heavy against the hot sand, and beads of sweat drenched your forehead. It was only the early morning, and the heat would certainly be worse later on. How were you to survive in this place?

A dust storm came forth, filling your eyes and nose and mouth with sand -- you coughed and sputtered, trying aimlessly to fend off the dust, but your efforts were in vain. Your eyes watered, surely turning the sand to mud, as they stung from the intrusion.

Still, this was better than what you would have faced at home.

Your resolve strong, you pressed onward, braving the storm with your slow, painful steps.

You felt like you weren't getting anywhere.

But really, that was okay because you had nowhere to go.

You were a lone wanderer now. You had accepted the fact. Now all you had to do was survive.

Hours later, the last of your water had been drained. You had abandoned the remainder of your food supply to be rid of the weight -- eating was the last thing you wanted to do anyway. The sun was unbearable. You felt like you had to stop every minute to wipe the sweat away from your brow -- the sleeves of your shirt had been soaked through.

You wondered how long you could go on like this. Surely, you were dying.

Although you tried your hardest to press on, you found that it was too much. The last thing you remembered was collapsing into the sand, barely able to feel the sear of heat and torment wash over you.

\------------

You thought you were dead. You actually felt cool and quite comfortable. As you lifted yourself from the cot, you found that you were still alive... but how?

This place was new and homely, hardly suitable for your captors, so you had no fears about them finding you. It was dimly lit, and it looked like the bare walls of an unfurnished cave.

"Ah, so you're awake."

Your eyes darted to the source of the voice.

He was a well-muscled man garbed in a collared shirt and loose, black pants; grey bandages were wrapped around his very large forearms He wore a bandanna around his head, where two green ears rested. There were markings on his face, and from behind you noticed a twitching tail.

You flinched back. "Y-you're--"

"--sub-human? Is that what you were going to say?" he said.

You suddenly realized how rude you were being -- really, you had nothing against the laguz. In fact, you were quite happy that Empress Sanaki had made the effort to eliminate slavery in Begnion. 

You had grown up in a very wealthy household, and unfortunately, your family had a laguz slave. She was treated poorly, even by the servants, but she was very kind to you. It amazed you that even after being made to suffer at the hands of beorc, she still had love in her heart.

Her name was Inya, and she was a member of the Beast Tribe, a small cat who was forced into labor to cook and clean. She would often tell you about her home in Galia, about the mountains and her lost family. Your heart ached for her situation, and you wished nothing more than the ability to free her. Of course, when Sanaki made her proclamation that all laguz slaves were to be freed, you were happy beyond words. Inya left with several other laguz to return to her homeland after that. She thanked you before leaving, taking your hands into hers -- she said that she appreciated your company, that you were the only beorc who had treated her with kindness in her long years of captivity.

You were brought back to the present by his piercing eyes, and you gave the stranger a small, apologetic smile. "Laguz," you said, remembering your manners. "I was going to say laguz. I'm sorry -- I was merely shocked to see you. I've been traveling by myself for so long, and I don't know how I came upon this place."

He gave you a reassuring grin. "I am happy you are a friend to the laguz. As for your question, I can answer that for you. Our group found you in the desert, collapsed in a small heap. We took you in. There is water on the table next to you, and I will bring you food as soon as you are able to stomach it."

You hadn't realized how thirsty you were. You must have been very shocked and disoriented. Of course, you immediately reached for the small bowl of water at your bedside and began to drink deeply.

"Our little one will be glad to see you are awake. He will be even more pleased that you are a friend. There are so few laguz friends in these parts."

It was most unfortunate that that was how things were. The racism still ran deep, despite Sanaki's proclamation. You wished that there was something that you could do, but you couldn't change decades of culture, no matter how much you tried.

"Who are you exactly?" you asked. "I'm very grateful that you're out here, but I wasn't expecting anyone to be..."

"His name is Muarim, and I'm Tormod."

You turned around to glance at the source of this voice. He was of no impressive height, perhaps just a slight bit taller than you, with blazing red hair, and he carried himself with pride, perhaps even a bit of arrogance. A small smile played on his lips. You thought that he might have been in his late teens. He was dressed in simple clothes and a beautiful red cloak that mages usually wore.

"Who are you?" he continued. "I've never seen you in this area before."

"I'm _____." You had wondered for a moment if you ought to be more careful with your choice of revealing your name, but you owed these people your life. At the very least, you could be honest with them. "I'm... well, I've never been in this area before."

"Well, that's obvious. If you had, you wouldn't have tried to cross the desert without more water. You must come from the city."

He was observant enough, and you gave an audible sigh. "I am from the city," you admitted, diverting your eyes from your two rescuers. "I ran away from home."

"Hrm." Tormod stepped closer to you, his arms crossed over his chest. "Why?" he asked. "Is home really that bad?"

"No, not in a traditional sense..." You loved your family, but there was a single thing that prevented you from staying. "Women in the upper classes of Begnion... well, they don't have much of a future. We don't get to choose anything for ourselves. From the time we are born, our fates have been chosen for us."

"So you escaped in hopes of freedom," Muarim concluded for you. His eyes were steely, but you could tell that he was kind. Maybe he even understood.

"Overall, yes," you said. "That's exactly it."

Tormod looked thoughtful. "Well, we won't pry you for your private details, but it looks like you might want to stay with us for a while. There have been a lot of soldiers out and about lately,."

"Even in the desert?" That surprised you. What were they doing in the desert? 

He nodded. "Looking for us, I think. We've been freeing the remainder of the laguz slaves, and traders don't like that."

"I bet they don't, not if you're taking their primary source of revenue away." You smiled. "But it's not like they deserve any money, not with what they're doing. It's inhumane."

Tormod studied you carefully with his brown-red eyes. "You know what? I like you. Can you fight, _____?"

You were taken aback by his bold manner of speaking. "Well, I _can._ I was actually trained to practice wind magic--"

"That's perfect!" he interrupted. "I'm studying fire magic. We could help each other, I think, and we'll both improve. You can join me and the others in the raids."

"Little one," Muarim berated gently. "You did not ask if this arrangement is appropriate for our guest. What if she does not like to fight? Or what if she does not wish to?"

"I-I can fight," you said. "I don't mind. You saved my life, after all, so I owe you something."

Tormod shook his head, obviously heeding Muarim's advice. "I'm glad you're gracious enough to see it like that, but you don't owe us anything. We saw you in the sand, and we couldn't just let you die, could we? We didn't do it because we wanted something out of you. So if you really want to fight, then please do. If you don't, then we won't force you."

"I think your cause is an important one, and I have nowhere else to go. Honestly, I'm lucky that you found me. Please let me be of use."

"It won't be easy," the young man said, "but don't worry. Whoever you're running from -- well, we won't let them catch you out here. They won't even know where to look. In fact, since you came through the desert, those idiots probably think Muarim ate you or something."

Muarim looked unimpressed by his joke, but the both of you gave a small laugh. This would be the start of a blossoming friendship... maybe even more.

\------------

Weeks later, you had become adjusted to your new life. Your magic skills had improved tremendously, and you had made fast friends with Tormod, Muarim, and the rest of the laguz who resided here.

The desert was unrelenting, but the oasis that Tormod's band used was filled with pristine water, and they all took turns in fetching the life-saving liquid and bringing it to the cave.

Beorc did not come here often, so you were quite safe -- for that, you were thankful. Even though there were more than usual, as Tormod mentioned, you still felt secure.

You admitted that you missed your family, and that ache in your heart was always there because you wondered every day if you would ever see them again. Perhaps never. You gave a heavy sigh as you stared into the dusk, watching the sandstorm whip its way across the land.

"What are you thinking about?"

You turned around to see that Tormod had crept up behind you, his arms crossed, his cape waving behind him. "Oh... just stuff."

"Stuff? What kind of stuff?"

"My family."

"Oh." A flash of concern wavered in his eyes. "I'm sorry. You must miss them."

"I do." The air was still warm, though not unpleasantly so. By the time the sun set, this desert would be unbelievably cold. 

"You think you'll see them again?" he asked.

"I hope so."

"Well, why not? You could always go back for a visit."

You shook your head. "I don't think I can. If I did, well..." You had not yet told this new band of friends about your past. They were polite enough not to ask.

Tormod placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. "You can tell me. If you want, that is. I won't make you talk."

You sighed again. Maybe this was for the best that you told someone, you thought. You couldn't hold these secrets in forever -- you couldn't bear this burden by yourself. "I told you the first time we met," you began, "that I come from a family of high class, right?"

He nodded, taking a seat outside the mouth of the cave; he patted the ground, indicating for you to sit down as well.

"Well..." You did as he asked, leaning against the stone. "I was betrothed to someone in the senate, someone very powerful. It wasn't my parents' doing, even -- it was the head of my House who made the arrangement at this senator's request."

"So that's why you ran away."

"Yeah. I didn't have a choice. Unless I was all right with this marriage to a man who is old enough to be my father. I'd be widowed by the time I am forty." Your eyebrows narrowed. "You can call me a coward, if you want, but I just didn't have the courage to go through with it. I ran away from my problems."

Tormod looked surprised. "A coward? No, of course not! I think the opposite -- it takes courage for you to run away in a situations like this."

"But running away... isn't that bad? Wouldn't it have been better to face my family? To face _him_?"

He laughed. "_____, there's a difference between running away from your problems and a strategic retreat. Even in battle, we retreat sometimes. There's no point in charging into a fight that you can't win or gain some benefit from -- in your case, I think you did the best thing for yourself or else you'd be stuck with a fat old man for the rest of your life." His voice grew serious. "You'd be imprisoned in your own city, nothing more than a slave."

You sighed. "I wish it were so simple, but I've brought shame to my family and House. I don't know if they would want to see me again even if I chose to return."

"The shame is with them for forcing to you do something that has no obvious benefit to you, that you would be unhappy doing."

You fell silent at his words. He did make you feel a bit better, but this problem would remain unresolved. "I just... I wish it all had never happened."

"Muarim says that we all wish that during these sorts of times, but we can't change anything. The only thing we can do is look to the future and strive to make it better."

It was obvious that Tormod had a great respect for Muarim, who was older and wiser. That relationship seemed so special -- if only you had a friend like Muarim to guide you. You gave him a small smile. "Well, I'm glad I can say that my friend Tormod told me that. Thanks for talking to me."

"Ah... no problem." He seemed a bit sheepish, reaching up to scratch his head. "It's been nice having you here, _____. I love the laguz, but having another beorc here... well, it's nice." His usually bold tone was now a shy one, and you couldn't help but feel warmed by his words.

"You've all been so welcoming, and I surely would have died if it weren't for you finding me in the desert. I owe you whatever I have the power to give."

"Well, we have a raid coming up tomorrow," Tormod offered. "If you're up for it. It'll be near the river at the edge of the city, so it'll be kind of close to home. Only if you're comfortable, though."

You had not had the chance to take part in a raid yet, mostly because Tormod had been training you, but it seemed like he thought you were ready. "I will," you said, feeling as though you could use your skills to help them. It would be difficult fighting against other beorc, but that was something that you had to face. You couldn't fight them for your own future, but you could fight them to help free the enslaved laguz. Knowing that you had friends behind you, such as Tormod and Muarim, gave you that strength.

\------------

It was growing dark outside.

You were situated behind some bushes near the riverbank. The rushing water and greenery was familiar to you, and you breathed in the smell of vegetation -- a rarity in the desert you now lived in. It was nice to see the green again after so many long weeks in the middle of nothing but sand and stone.

Tormod and two raven laguz had scouted ahead. 

The laguz slave trade was no doubt illegal, but even with Empress Sanaki's provisions, there were those who still managed to import and sell these poor beings. Events that took place years before had brought out evidence, but the enforcement was still the problem, especially with the prominent racism. Tormod told you that he had met Sanaki once, and she provided him with information about the trade so that he and his band could counter them.

These laguz were likely to come from all the tribes, some of them perhaps too far gone to be freed. There were some horrible experimenters who were compensated to make these beings "feral" so that your band would have no choice but to kill them. Muarim said that these feral ones were inconsolable and dangerous. If they were present, and they likely would be, you would have to be careful.

There was rustling in the distance and bangs of cargo being unloaded. 

"Sounds like they're here," Muarim whispered to you. "The others should be heading back soon."

Sure enough, you saw Tormod and the other two ravens come toward you, crawling along the underbrush. "They have many laguz with them," he said. "I can't tell whether they're feral or not."

"They must be," Muarim replied. "They are smarter than that -- their beorc warriors could never stand up to us without those feral creatures."

"Well, we'll see as soon as we get closer. If they sic 'em on us, then they must be feral."

You grew a little nervous because you had never fought before. Your magic lessons were purely educational, and while you could manipulate wind fairly well, you had never used these skills for their intended purpose.

Tormod winked at you. "You stay with me, _____. We mages can't take much damage, so we'll keep our distance."

As the band discussed its strategy, another party moved into view. Their leader was cloaked in white, a religious sort of attire, and you recognized him immediately. "No!" you cried softly, barely a whisper in your breath.

"What?" Tormod asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's him..."

"Who?"

"The man I'm betrothed to."

Tormod's eyes narrowed. "_Him?_ That's Senator Lekain, the Duck of Gaddos! They wanted you to marry _that_ creep?"

"I am appalled," Muarim said, joining the conversation. "That man is a vile beorc."

"Now you see why I ran away," you replied, staring at the small procession. It looked like Senator Lekain had brought soldiers with him. Most of them were on foot, while he sat upon a black horse.

"We'll take him," Tormod said, moving as though he were ready to spring into action.

You caught his arm. "No! What if he finds me?"

He touched your hand with his, looking straight into your eyes. "I won't let him hurt you. I promise. If you don't want to fight tonight, that's fine. Just stay hidden in the shrubs." He then whispered something to the other laguz and then began to approach the senator, creeping low to the ground.

You sat where you were, unable to move. The fear of being forced to marry someone like Senator Lekain shook you to your core. You wondered for a moment if your family faced any consequences for your abandonment.

Some of your companions moved around the senator and his men, so far away that you could no longer see them in the pending darkness. And then, after several moments of silence, the fight broke out. You could hear growls and shrieks and the drawing of weapons. From the other side of the river, you heard roars, likely the feral ones being released from their cages.

"Filthy sub-humans!" Lekain cried, as he began to make use of his tomes to attack. Fortunately, your group was smart enough to back away, and he was far too pompous to chase. Why should the senator have to do the dirty work himself when others could do it?

You saw bursts of fire coming forth from Tormod's hand, glowing in the darkness. As the flames singed the feral ones, those whom he had sworn to protect, you knew that his heart ached. He did not wish for this -- he did not want to kill them, but he was given no choice.

It was then that you heard the wild flapping of wings and the cry of bird laguz -- but these were not the war cries of your friends. These were more feral ones, feral ravens and feral hawks. They dove among Tormod and your companions, sweeping at them from the sky.

If only you were brave enough.

You could help them by using your wind tomes to fend the bird feral ones off. You clenched your fist to your chest, holding your book tightly in your grasp.

You could be brave.

You really could.

The only thing that was holding you back was your potential loss of freedom... but these feral ones... they had already lost theirs, and not only their freedom, but they had also lost their sanity and dignity. And if you did not choose to fight, to step up and find that courage, then more laguz lives would be at stake.

And then there was Tormod. This was the reason he could sleep at night. He sacrificed so much for someone so young -- he sacrificed his life to perform this service as a freedom fighter. How could you not support him?

You took a deep breath, standing from where you were squatting. There was no doubt in your mind that no one had noticed you -- you were too far away from the battle, and who would bother looking away during the intense fight?

Invigorated, you threw up a whirlwind, using the dim light of the moon to find the feral ones. Wind was a weakness of the bird laguz. They were also surprised, so when you hit them, they seemed to be taken aback before your winged companions swarmed among them, finishing them off.

You marveled at your work, feeling rather accomplished for your first successful strike in an actual fight.

"_____?" Tormod was surprised, but he rushed to your side, pushing you toward a bush. "You're here! But remember to take cover if you want to fight, and catch them off guard from a distance."

From behind him, a feral tiger lunged forward, and you gave a cry. 

Tormod, however, was on guard, casting a quick spell over his shoulder, which sent the beast backwards. "Dont' worry about me, ______. I've got it all covered. Take care of the flying ones, will you?" 

You nodded. "I'll try."

Most of the beorc soldiers were already slain by Muarim, who had taken the lead with the other tigers. All that was left was to finish off the feral laguz, who, while vicious, were not careful in their attacks. 

What seemed like hours of tireless spell-casting later, all that was left was to break down the caravan, the cargo that carried the laguz to be sold into slavery. Several of your band members began the process, but Tormod turned toward the other side of the river, where Lekain remained with a few more of his guards.

With several hawk laguz behind him, he swept toward the senator and his men. "Stop right there, Lekain!" Tormod cried. "I have a bone to pick with you."

Truthfully, during your fight, you had forgotten all about the senator. He had stayed back upon his horse without moving toward your band. What a coward. Nonetheless, you followed Tormod, afraid that he was going to bite off more than he could chew. From what you had heard, Lekain was a ruthless man and would certainly do away with a boy if that would help him.

The last thing you wanted was for Tormod to risk his life over you.

"Hey, Lekain! I'm talking to you!" He stopped mere yards away, glaring at the senator.

"I do not waste my time on such uneducated peasants," he said, indicating for the guards to move forward. 

They did, but they were quickly killed by Tormod's fire and the hawk's talons.

Lekain growled, frustrated that his defenses were so easily shattered. "I _do not_ have time for this, boy. You've destroyed my property."

"You've destroyed so many lives. You've ruined so many people, causing them to hide out from fear of you!" Tormod retorted bravely. "And not only the lives of the laguz, the lives of your own people, too!" Here, he turned back to look at you, if only briefly.

The senator's gaze shifted toward you as well, though whether by the darkness or his own lack of ability, he did not recognize you. 

By this point, the rest of your band had caught up with you, and they stood, their hair and feathers bristling at the sight of the senator.

Intimidated by this unevenly matched brawl, he did the only thing that he could. He retreated in a bright flash of gold light, horse and all. "You will rue this day, you filthy sub-humans, and you, boy!" And he was gone.

Tormod growled. "Hey! Get back here and fight!"

"Easy, little on," Muarim said as he shifted into his bipedal form. "We've come here to free the laguz, and we have done it. Do not let anger fester in your heart."

\------------

The captive laguz returned to the desert with your band that night. Some of them had decided to stay permanently with the group to fight for the freedom of their own kind. Some of them would leave in the morning to return home.

Regardless, you were just glad that you took part in this liberation.

You found Tormod sitting outside of the cave, staring up at the moon. "Hi there," you said, taking a seat next to him. It was just like the day before.

"Hello," he replied, turning to glance at you.

It was late, but you didn't feel tired. "You did great today, Tormod. I have never seen such a passionate fire mage before."

There was a slight tinge of red on his cheeks. "Y-you really think so?" 

For someone so boastful, he didn't take the compliment as you thought he would have. "Really," you replied. "I think what you're doing is a wonderful thing."

"And you -- for someone who has never fought before, you did really well, _____. That wind magic will be so helpful for us in the future, too."

"Only because you gave me the courage to use it." You scooted closer to him. "You know, I was thinking about what you said to me about how we can only change the future -- I really took it to heart. At first, I was too nervous to fight, afraid that something might happen. Then, I realized that if I continued stayed hidden, I would be running away again, and in a way that was only propelled by fear. 

"I ran away from home because I didn't know what else to do. But during that fight, I knew what I had to do. I just had to face my fears, and in doing so, it would release me from what was holding me back. It was hard, admittedly, but you really helped me with that. So my 'strategic retreat' a few weeks ago turned out to mean something after all."

Tormod was smiling at you. "You know something, _____? I think Lekain was making a strategic retreat, too, because if he would have stayed, he knew that I would have ripped him to pieces." He looked away as he exhaled in a dry laugh. "And I don't know what he has to do with these enslaved laguz -- I wasn't even thinking about that. I would have done it for you."

"For me?"

"Just for you." He leaned close and gave you a quick, innocent kiss on the cheek.

You found yourself blushing, burning as hot as the flames that this fire mage had conjured earlier that night.


End file.
